A digital repository of obituaries about Australians, and those who have made an impact on Australian history, published in newspapers, journals, magazines and bulletins.
The site is managed by the National Centre of Biography at the Australian National University which also publishes the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Can I write an obituary?
Only obituaries that are published in newspapers, journals, magazines and bulletins will be accepted.
How can I contribute to Obituaries Australia?
You can help build up Obituaries Australia by sending us copies of published obituaries.
You can help build up existing obituaries by sending us photos and other relevant biographical material such as eulogies, memoirs, unpublished autobiographies.
You can help fill in the details in the life summaries of existing entries.
Do you have to be born in Australia to get into Obituaries Australia?
Obituaries Australia includes obituaries of anyone who has made a contribution to Australian life. This includes people who may never have even visited the country such as a British politician who had responsibility for colonies in the early 1800s or an American business owner which had extensive business relationships in Australia.
How many obituaries per person are published?
There is no limit. We will reproduce all obituaries provided they are not duplicates.
How do I search Obituaries Australia?
You can either Browse lists for the names of people, authors and occupations or use the Quick and Advanced search options for more detailed queries.
People search allows you to search by life dates, birth and death place, religion, ethnicity, and occupation.
Use Source search to find obituaries published in a particular journal or date range.
Are entries in Obituaries Australia’s linked to relevant entries in the Australian Dictionary of Biography?
Yes, they are. Entries in the ADB will also be linked to Obituaries Australia.
Our long-term aim is to create a federated search option that will search both websites at the same time.
I’ve found a mistake, who do I tell?
You can contact Obituaries Australia staff at obits@anu.edu.au or fill in our contact form. Please note that as we are merely republishing the obituaries we cannot amend the text but we will include a footnote to indicate errors in the text.
Can I republish any of the obituaries or images?
The NCB does not own the copyright on any of the obituaries or the images. You will need to contact the copyright owners to reuse the material.